Joshua Crezee-Tetteroo
Commercial Property Underwriter, Sydney, AIG Australia
Bachelor of Business in Economics & Finance
The workplace experience in his final year was a highlight of his studies, says Joshua Crezee-Tetteroo who studied a Bachelor of Business in Economics & Finance.
“Gaining real experience in the workplace, while being supported by AUT was too good to turn down and was one of the reasons I chose AUT. I completed my workplace experience at The Warehouse Group HQ in Auckland. This was a three-month placement in their finance department. This was my first experience in the corporate environment and thinking back, it was a great advantage to have that experience in what was a tough job market at that time. But it was a lot more than just work experience – part of the curriculum included setting up my LinkedIn and understanding the importance of my personal brand.”
The people he met throughout his studies were another highlight of his time at AUT.
“The true highlights were the people I met and connections made – particularly during group assignments. There were fun times with good people! A personal highlight for me was also being named on the honours roll in my first year.”
A new life in Sydney
Now based in Sydney, Joshua works as a commercial property underwriter for insurance giant AIG Australia.
“My role is a good mix of risk analysis and sales/marketing. Work can really pick up at certain months of the year, which leads to long hours and a lot of time at the desk. Equally, the less busy times allow us to get out in the market, with a lot of lunches and evening mixers occupying our time.”
He says his AUT degree prepared him well for his role now.
“I often draw on the small things I picked up during the degree, like using Excel, manipulating data and the like. Being computer literate is very helpful, and I don’t mind being the quasi IT guy for my colleagues. Critical thinking has also been very important, getting on Google search and conducting my own research in relation to work tasks is not too dissimilar from completing an assignment.”
Advice for other students
Joshua, who graduated from AUT in 2016, has some great advice for other students.
“The great thing about the Bachelor of Business being a relatively broad degree is that it’s a good foundation for many different career tracks post-study. I had no intention of joining the insurance industry after university; however, I’ve fallen into it, just like many of my peers in the industry. I didn’t have it all figured out back then and the Bachelor of Business does give you that career flexibility.”
He also has some insights into a career in insurance.
“You wouldn’t hear a five-year-old proclaim that they’d like to work in insurance when they grow up, however it’s in fact an area where a lot of people end up. I used to think of the extent of insurance as just home, car, contents and travel if you lose your phone in Bali – now working in the industry, it seems that there’s an insurance product available for any situation where a business can sustain a financial loss. It’s a huge industry with many different areas you can specialise in and various roles to suit your strengths. It’s also a relatively low barrier to entry, with many entry-level roles available to get your foot in the door before you find your niche.”
